Collapsible reuseable carton

ABSTRACT

A one-piece carton differing from the RSC type in that it has a score line medially of each end panel. The bottom-forming panels are defined only by score lines, without slots, and the top closure may be of the RSC type or omitted altogether. The carton is designed particularly for handling the standard lot of 30 dozen eggs.

United States Patent Wilcox, Jr. et al.

[ Feb. 15, 1972 [54] COLLAPSIBLE REUSEABLE CARTON [72] Inventors: ThomasL. Wilcox, Jr.; Ancil A. Jones,

both of Indianapolis, Ind.

[73] Assignee: Anderson Box Company, Inc., Indianapolis, 1nd.

[22] Filed: Apr. 10, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 27,345

[52] US. Cl. ...229/39, 229/41 R [51] Int. Cl "B6511 5/10 [58] Field ofSearch ..229/39 R, 41 R, 41 B [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 3,115,291 12/1963 Kotowick ..229/41B 3,104,795 9/1963 Adams..229/39 R Primary Examiner-Even C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Alfred N.Goodman Att0rneyBerman, Davidson and Berman ABSIRACT A one-piece cartondiffering from the RSC type in that it has a score line medially of eachend panel. The bottom-forming panels are defined only by score lines,without slots, and the top closure may be of the RSC type or omittedaltogether. The carton is designed particularly for handling thestandard lot of 30 dozen eggs.

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COLLAPSIBLE REUSEABLE CARTON While the present invention will bedescribed with reference to a SO-dozen egg carton, it has, as a matterof fact, a vastly greater significance. To the end that its truesignificance may be comprehended, it is necessary at least to outlinesome of the economic and business background which gave rise to itsconception.

Disposal of waste, i.e., garbage, trash, etc., is a problem facing everycity and town throughout the more or less civilized world. On analysis,the problem largely resolves itself into one of cubic capacity of thetrash gathering medium, i.e., trucks and the men who handle them. Inthis field, the RSC type of carton presents a most particulardifficulty. The problem is not entirely that of the volumetric capacityof the trash-collecting agency, but it also extends to the retail storewhich acquires most of its merchandise in corrugated cartons of the RSCtype. Such cartons are difficult to flatten, and if not flattened,occupy valuable cargo space not only in the trash collecting truck, butin the store which must retain the cartons between trash collections.

The carton of this invention is designed to afford the buyer of goodscontained therein to collapse the same, and thereby effect an enormoussaving in cubic footage in the requisite storage space for emptiedcartons. The present invention accomplishes this by providing a blankwhich uses very little more board than the RSC type, which can be madeon standard equipment, and which may be collapsed to a small fraction ofits erected volume either for storage or reuse.

In addition to the feature of collapsibility which, by the way, isaccomplished without mutilation of the cotton, there is the feature ofreuseability where the nature of the product permits. This isparticularly true and customary in shipping standard lots of 30-dozeneggs. Manifestly, reuseability would not enter into liquor cartonsthrough the feature of collapsibility unquestionably is advantageous inthe liquor carton market as well as in such fields as canned goods,detergents, etc.

The above and other objects of this invention will be made clear fromthe following detailed description, taken in connection with the annexeddrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the erected carton of this invention,with some parts broken away;

FIG. 2 is a similar perspective view of the carton of this invention,showing the bottom side of the erected carton;

FIG. 3 is a cross section on the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the carton ofthisinvention in a halfwaycondition between either collapse or erection;

FIG. 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross section on the line 66 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is purely illustrative of a stack of collapsed cartons whichwould exceed the length of the page many times were the cartons notcollapsed according to the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the blank from which the carton of thisinvention is formed.

Refer now to FIG. 8 which shows a blank, generally designated 10. Theblank 10 has a front wall 12 defined at its left side by a score line 14which also defines a tab 16 which will form part of the manufacturer'sjoint. Referring again to FIG. 8, a score line 18 defines the right-handend of the front panel 12, as well as defining the right-hand end panel20. The end panel 20 has a medial score line 22 and its definition iscompleted by a score line 24 which also defines the righthand end of therear panel 26. Let it also be understood that the terms "front and rear,top and bottom are used purely for the purpose of clarification ofthe-disclosure, and

are not at all terms of limitation.

The top closure panels 28, 30, 32 and 34, if used at all, are of the RSCtype. With due regard to 35 U.S.C. 112, perhaps it would be well todefine the .term RSC which the trade defines as "regular slotted carton.The top closure, in this case, is completely immaterial. In the eggbusiness, the top flaps usually are simply folded over into closureposition and loaded into a car with the flaps distributing over onecarton, the weight of another superimposed carton.

It will be noticed, however, that top panels 30 and 34 share aprolongation of the medial score lines 22, in the case of the end panel20, and a score line 36 which bisects the other end panel 38 at theright hand end of FIG. 8. I

What has been described up to this point is RSC plus, of course, the endpanel score lines 22 and 36. The bottom structure, in conjunction withthe above-noted medial score lines 22 and 36 in the end panels, goes tothe heart of the invention.

The bottom closure fiaps are designated 40 adjacent the front panel 12,end panel 42, adjacent end panel 20, rear panel 44, adjacent rear wall26, and end panel 46 adjacent vertical end wall 38.

It is to be noted that a tab 48 forms a continuation of the tab 16defined by a prolongation of the score line 14, the tabs 16 and 48,which really are but a single tab, enter into the manufacturers jointpreviously referred to.

The bottom-forming panel 40 is defined from its adjacent front, verticalpanel 12 by a score line 50 which extends across the entire width of theblank, as seen in FIG. 8, and serves to define the bottom closure flaps40, 42, 44, and 46 from their adjacent vertical panels. I

The bottom-forming flap 40 has, adjacent its extremity 52, a die cutslot 54 located medially of the length of the panel 40. At theintersection of the score lines 14 and 50, the panel 40 has a diagonalscore line 56 angling inwardly from the intersection toward, but notincluding, the slot 54. Between the intersection of score lines 18 and50 a score line 58 runs similarly but in opposition to the score line56.

The bottom-forming end panels 42 and 46 are of the utmost simplicity,being defined in the case of panel 42, by score lines 18, 24 and 50,with a bisection by a prolongation of the score line 22. The panel 46 isidentical with panel 42, being defined by a free edge 60, a score line62, which also defines end panel 38, and by the score line 50. Aprolongation of the medial score line 36 bisects the panel 46.

The bottom panel 44 has a diagonal score line 64 rendering inwardly fromthe intersection of score lines 24 and 50, and a similar score line 66is provided running inwardly from the intersection of score lines 50 and62. The score line 64 terminates in a cutout portion 68 while the scoreline 66 ten minates in a similar cutout portion 70. A slot 72 extendshorizontally from the cutout portion 68 and defines an end tab 74 of aflap 76. A similar slot 78 extends horizontally from the cutout 70 anddefines a similar end tab 80 of the flap 76. The tab 74 is defined fromthe flap 76 by a score line 82 while the tab 70 is defined from the flap76 by a score line 84. End panel 20 is provided with a conventionalhandhold 86 while end panel 38 is applied with a similar handhold 88. 1

At the manufacturers plant the simplest assembly step is to fold blank10 along score line 24 and to fold the flaps l6 and 48 on the score line14 so that'optionally they contact either the exterior or interiorsurface with the free edge of end panel 38. The flaps l6 and 48, whichafter all are a single entity, receive .a line of staples securing theflaps throughout their length to the free edge 60 of end panels 38 and46. Conceivably, flaps l6 and 48 might be omitted and the then free edgeofpanels l2 and 40 could be taped to the free edge of the panel 38. Suchajoint, however, would be recommended only for very light work.

The carton is received by the original buyer in the folded conditionjust described and with a stapled joint between flaps l6 and 48 and flap38. The first step performed by the recipient is to set the carton upinto ordinary rectangular condition, with wall 12 parallel to wall 26and panel 20 parallel to panel 38. At this point, both top and bottomclosure flaps all project outwardly in the plane of the respectivepanels. The next step is to thrust bottom closure panels 42 and 46toward each other which produces flexure of the corner portions of panel40 on diagonal score lines 56, 58 and a similar effect in panel 44 ondiagonal score line 64 and 66. Then by proper manipulation foldingoutwardly along score lines 22 and 36, the tongues 76 of panel 44 may bebrought into juxtaposition with the slot 54 of panel 40. The tabs 74 and76, respectively,

are folded about score lines 82 and 84 to lie in the plane of the flap76 which permits the flap to enter the slot 54 in panel 40. After this,tabs 74 and 80 are flattened out to the condition shown in FIG. 8 andform a lock preventing disengagement of the flap 76 from the slot 54.The flaps 42 and 46 are then pressed firmly down to the position of FIG.1 and the box becomes a rigid rectangular structure.

It is to be noted in FIG. 2, as well as in FIG. 1, that the flap 76 withtabs 74 and 80 lies on the interior of the box and presents no exteriordisturbance of the bottom surface. It also should be noted that when theflap 76 is engaged in the slot 54, as shown in FIG. 2, it is quiteimpossible to open the bottom while the carton is in erect and filledcondition without mutilation of the locking flaps 74 and 80.

After the box has been filled and shipped and it is desired to collapsethe box, it is not necessary to disengage the flap 76 from the slot 54.With the box open and the top flaps in the planes of their respectivepanels, it is only necessary to bulge, for example, panel 38 on itsscore line 36 and panel 20 along its score line 22. In this case, tab76, as engaged with slot 54, in effect forms a median hinge, medianinsofar as the center line of the box is concerned. An intermediatestage is shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 so that panels 40 and 44 foldinwardly and upwardly while panels and 38 fold outwardly. As thecollapse progresses the box ultimately assumes a completely flattenedcondition and may be stacked, as shown in FIG. 7.

The steps previously described to collapse the box from fully erectedcondition, of course, could be performed by the manufacturer at nominalextra cost and the box could be shipped in the condition indicated inFIGS. 47, thus minimizing the cost of erecting the box at the plant ofthe user. If this were done, however, the collapsed box would haveuneven thickness due to multiple plies in the collapsed bottom andthereby would reduce the number of boxes shippable in a given cubicfootage. To determine the desirability of erecting and collapsing thebox at the plant of the manufacturer, it will usually be desirable toconduct a preliminary cost analysis both at the plant of themanufacturer and the plant of the user in order to secure actual minimumcosts.

In a regular slotted carton, all the bottom flaps would terminate on theline coincident with the inner edge of slot 54 which line would extendentirely across the blank of FIG. 8. The distance between slot 54 andfree edge 52 presents the additional material required for the presentcarton as against the material required for a regular slotted carton.The present carton is designed as previously noted to receive thestandard 30- dozen pack of eggs. The carton including the closure flapsincreases board consumption by only about 6 percent over the equivalentregular slotted carton. Depending upon the particular plant in whichthey are manufactured, in corrugated boxes of this type, material costof boards runs between and percent of total cost of the finishedcontainer. The regular slotted container would have to be destroyed inorder to collapse it so that if the present container makes even two,let alone 10 or more trips, the extra initial cost is trivial and, aspreviously mentioned, even when the container is not reused, the ease ofcollapsibility minimizes a very considerable problem of emptycartonstorage.

While certain details of construction have been disclosed herein, nodoubt various changes in the structure would suggest themselves to oneskilled in the art who peruses this specification. Accordingly, theinvention is not to be limited to the precise details disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:

1. A one-piece blank for forming a collapsible carton, said blankcomprising a sheet of board divided by parallel transverse score linesinto a front wall, an end wall, a rear wall and a second end wall, saidsheet having a pair of parallel longitudinal score lines perpendicularlyintersecting all of the aforesaid score lines to define bottom closurepanels corresponding to said front, rear and end panels and integraltherewith and with each other, and top closure panels corresponding tosaid front, rear and end panels and inte ral therewlth; said end panelshaving medial score lines exten mg throughout said end panels andthroughout the top and bottom panels integral therewith; thebottom-forming panels which form extensions of said front and rear wallpanels having at their ends diagonal score lines extending inwardly anddownwardly from the intersections of said transverse score lines withone of said longitudinal score lines; and combined interlocking andhinge means formed in each of said lastnamed bottom-forming panels tocoact one with the other to secure said panels together when said cartonis erected and to provide a hinge connection between said bottom-formingpanels when erecting or folding the carton; said interlocking and hingemeans including a slot formed inwardly of said bottom-forming panelconnected to said front wall centrally of the carton and a locking tabformed by cutout portions in the bottom-forming panel connected to saidrear wall.

1. A one-piece blank for forming a collapsible carton, said blankcomprising a sheet of board divided by parallel transverse score linesinto a front wall, an end wall, a rear wall and a second end wall, saidsheet having a pair of parallel longitudinal score lines perpendicularlyintersecting all of the aforesaid score lines to define bottom closurepanels corresponding to said front, rear and end panels and integraltherewith and with each other, and top closure panels corresponding tosaid front, rear and end panels and integral therewith; said end panelshaving medial score lines extending throughout said end panels andthroughout the top and bottom panels integral therewith; thebottom-forming panels which form extensions of said front and rear wallpanels having at their ends diagonal score lines extending inwardly anddownwardly from the intersections of said transverse score lines withone of said longitudinal score lines; and combined interlocking andhinge means formed in each of said last-named bottom-forming panels tocoact one with the other to secure said panels together when said cartonis erected and to provide a hinge connection between said bottom-formingpanels when erecting or folding the carton; said interlocking and hingemeans including a slot formed inwardly of said bottom-forming panelconnected to said front wall centrally of the carton and a locking tabformed by cutout portions in the bottom-forming panel connected to saidrear wall.